*A note for Ao3 readers. Ao3's XIX - doors of death was split into this chapter XIX - sorcerers and the next chapter XX - doors of death

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A sliver of dark red shone over the horizon, the sun not yet risen, and the blood from the cyclical battle of the moon and sun spilled across the sky. The bitter wind that usually cut through the dense pine forests whistling like sharp reprimands kept quiet today and the trees stood still like gravestones without the breeze to dance with their branches. Rushing river water smothered its constant roar out of respect. Foxes, squirrels, and stink bugs stared at Kendra from the tree coverage. Clouds remained immovable in their positions. The world held its breath. Everything was waiting.

Kendra, Garreth, and Muriel waved goodbye to their empty camp. They were the last group to depart. At the moment, Kendra felt like they were the lone survivors. There was no way to tell how the others were faring inside the Ziggurat—if Ronodin and Seth had gotten into the lower levels to rescue her grandparents or if the others had reached the imprisoned Fablehaven court. She held her breath. She was waiting to know.

Despite the anxiety, Kendra placed her hope solidly in Ronodin's knowledge of the Ziggurat, Eve's planning, and the ingenuity and resilience of her team. There was nowhere else to put her hope and holding it just weighed her down.

With each beat of Raxtus's invisible wings against the dark morning sky, Kendra inhaled and exhaled like a pendulum clock. Time was ticking, and the flight was short under the vast cover of gray. Now was the time to be precise about everything. Her breathing. How much energy she was routing to Raxtus. The rustling of her unseen skirts. Everything.

She had her huge fur coat over the clothing Madeline had made for her. The white skirts refused to be stained and although Kendra hadn't felt any different when Vanessa had laced up the flowery corset, she trusted Madeline.

But, Kendra still needed her heavy coat because the gauzy-sleeved outfit was very light. Madeline must have started making it in fall, before the raid. It was not fit for winter.

Not really for fall, either, but Kendra didn't question her. The young woman's bug eyes traced everyone's silhouette like she could discover their measurements just by sight. If anyone knew magic and fashion, it was Madeline.

The intersection of fabric and magic was an interesting, well-researched application. Fashionable spells weren't like everything else in magical knowledge—built up and then burnt down and now recovering from the ashes. Magical seamstresses tended to survive through purges as kings and queens loved pretty, pretty clothes that couldn't get stained by the blood of chopped-off heads.

In an aberrant way, Kendra thought of her flowy skirt and flowery corset as her battle outfit. Sorcerers tended not to wear armor as heavy metal just got in the way of fluid movement and didn't defend against most magic. But, this springtime dress? This could work.

Topping off all her clothes, Kendra also wore Eve's gift: a pearl necklace. Eve had told her it symbolized all of Terrabelle behind her. A nice sentiment even if very much untrue. But, sometimes, Kendra hoped that the Terrabellian market vendors and courtesans that knew her as a regular rooted for her despite her legal transgressions. And, sometimes, she wondered how they were doing. She hoped well enough considering the circumstances.

Ronodin and Muriel were also dressed for success. Muriel wore her usual rags, and Garreth had a chainmail shirt and green tunic underneath his fur coat. Their clothes were such a small component of the mission, but it was what Kendra focused on to fill her mind on the flight. The fashion thought bubble popped on the piercing tip of the ziggurat as their destination came into view.

The top of the ziggurat rose out of the mountain top, with only a few levels in the open-air to boast of. Kendra knew the steps continued far inside the mountain, but from the outside it didn't seem so formidable. The dark stone gleamed in the burgundy glow of the incarnadine sky.

Raxtus flew over rows of wraiths and other magical creatures armed with swords and bows and a whole lot of other weapons rarely used outside of humans, which was very bizarre. Traditions of magical fighting called on staffs of wood or fists of flesh. Natural and full of life. Not the cold, tapered, manipulated metal that belonged to a purely human fighting style.

But, the rows of unnatural defenses didn't phase her, because Raxtus was something no one could defend themselves from. With the complete isolation of draconic society within Wyrmroost, very few people had ever seen a dragon before. None could imagine an invisible one.

Raxtus alighted on the top-most level—a slab about the size of a horse stall. His talons barely fit. Kendra slid off his back, with one hand on him at all times to keep her body invisible. The dark stone sent pangs of cold through her boots, and the striking wind cut through her coat. The world was awakening.

She felt along the slab until her magic spiked. Detecting magic was something she had never been able to do before but, as she became more attuned to her own magic, she began to notice its fluctuations in the world around her. She was even beginning to sense magic in others. Still, she needed tactile contact, but it was new and exciting.

With a deep breath, she flooded her magic through her fingers and into the slab. Her unparalleled reservoir overwhelmed the spell in place with magic, and the trapdoor edge popped up. It was sort of like funneling the entire ocean through the eye of a needle. Nothing could withstand the force of millions of gallons of water rushing.

"Got it," Kendra whispered. Despite the invisibility, she could still see the cloud of warm air created by her breath. Garreth and Muriel dropped down beside her—ascertained by the thumps accompanying their veiled feet.

With a beat of his wings, Raxtus flew off. Kendra, Garreth, and Muriel suddenly became visible but not before quickly slipping into the ziggurat.

The trapdoor closed with a huff and plunged the three into darkness. Well, darkness for Garreth. For Muriel and Kendra, the cramped space was gray. They weren't going to risk light, though, so Kendra just grabbed Garreth's hand to lead him. Of course, it also felt very nice.

But that was not what Kendra was thinking about. Obviously.

A level down, they found an armory. Glimmering swords, polished bows, chains, whips, maces, spears, nets, tridents, axes, daggers, and all kinds of murderous tools decorated the large room. Blades covered every surface and no spot of wall could be found underneath all the weapons. But, they had a plan to follow, and so Kendra continued to the door on the opposite side of the armory. Seth would've loved all the cool weapons, though.

But, when Kendra had her hand on the doorknob to exit, a familiar voice caught her attention.

"Funny seeing you here."

Kendra turned around and found Gavin emerging from the shadows. He twirled a spiky baton before putting it down and picking up a new weapon. His fine clothes hung nicely off his frame and he flexed his muscles as he fixed his hair. He flashed her a winning smile.

Muriel cackled next to Kendra and Garreth tensed. Their hands were still joined, and Kendra knew for sure Garreth could feel her sweaty palms.

She should've expected their plan to immediately go off the rails. That just kind of happened to her, all the time. At this point, she should plan for failure and watch fate twist reality towards success just to spite her.

"We don't have to fight," Kendra said. That would be horrible considering the million ways to kill someone stacked up all around her.

"I agree." Gavin inspected the sword in his hands and grimaced. Not gaudy enough for him? He put it down and picked up twin scimitars instead. "Join me."

He was out of his mind. Was this some long-run goal? What had he gained from his previous transgressions if so? His motives were inscrutable, unless Kendra only thought of opportunistic greed. Then, every one of his decisions made sense.

Kendra narrowed her eyes. "Join you?"

"Look, I gave up my life as a dragon decades ago to gain the flexibility to plan all this. I wouldn't have done that if it wasn't a smart investment. You're a smart girl. You're a powerful girl. Join us."

Her flesh prickled in disgust. She never wanted to be included in an "us" with Gavin. "I'm not like you. I'm not selfish, you asshole."

Gavin rolled his eyes and focused back on her. Was it good acting or did she see a touch of panic in his eyes? "Kendra, please, I am trying to offer you an out. I genuinely like you. I can't do much about Garreth, they just don't want him. But, you!" He swung his new sword around indiscriminately and knocked several hanging helmets to the ground. She winced at the discordant bang. "We can find a place for you."

"I don't want your vision of the world."

"You don't see what we see."

"I do."

"Look, you're not like the other sorcerers. You were blessed by the Queen. You're practically half-god anyway. You won't have to do what they will." Gavin pursed his lips. "It's better than the inevitable if you go against the Sphinx."

Kendra scrunched her nose. "I'm not a traitor to my people like you."

Gavin groaned, and Kendra could see his familiar temper flare in clenched fists. "All this talk of loyalty and yet...you ran when Fablehaven was falling, right? You ran all the way to Terrabelle where you played house with this guy." He put a hand to his mouth and whispered. "Him? Really? You're pulling down my market value if this is my replacement."

"Hey," Garreth said. He raised his sword. But, this wasn't about him.

Gavin flicked a hand in his direction. "Pipe down."

"Bring us to the Sphinx," Kendra said. She raised her fingers to cast magic and felt the familiar warmth build inside her.

Gavin raised his hands in surrender and shrugged. He threw his sword back on the rack, causing an entire rack of weapons to fall in a cacophony of sound. "Fine. You want to do everything the hard way. Right this way."

Kendra looked at Garreth. His surprise mirrored her own. The ease of her request made Kendra feel like it was a bad idea. But, she felt that way about almost every mission they did, so really this feeling was an indication they were on the right track.

"Bringing the hag was a nice touch. Her smell will undoubtedly knock out your enemies." Gavin pinched his nose as he walked past them and led them through the door.

Muriel cackled more. She really kept up the true witch stereotype. Kendra wondered if she developed her witchy laugh before or after attaining great magic. "Thank you."

Gavin led them down several flights of stairs and along efficient pathways. At one point, he even submitted to an ID check to continue. He seemed to think seeing the Sphinx was a death wish, but it was Kendra's wish to make. Besides, once Gavin had already encountered the group, what was the other outcome for them? Being imprisoned? This way she could at least try to execute her plan before she ended up being the one executed.

They entered a new corridor and Kendra's curiosity got the best of her.

"Why did you do it?" Kendra asked. If this was the end, she would at least like some answers. "Why did you sell us out?"

Gavin laughed. "Kendra, darling. You must have forgotten who I am if you think I'd tell you."

"I still remember that you're a slimy bastard."

"Ouch. I'm very hurt."

They entered a decorated, ornate sitting room. Mythical statues lined the walls. Beaded fabrics adorned the walls and Kendra knew her time for questions was over. This must be the Sphinx's waiting room. It was very nice. Gavin knocked on the dark walnut double doors. "After you."

They all stepped forward but Gavin drew his sword to block them. "Just Kendra."

"Absolutely not," Garreth said. "All of us or nothing."

"Don't care," Gavin said. "Then, you'll get nothing and I'll just go ahead and take all of you to the dungeons."

Kendra clenched her hands in terror. Could she do it? Could she face the Sphinx alone? As she took a breath, she steadied herself. If it came down to it, yes. Yes, she could.

"What's the harm? I'm just a hag and he's just a human." Muriel gnawed on her gums. No one ever discerned Muriel's incredible power just from looking at her.

But, Gavin had been to Fablehaven before and he wasn't dumb. He saw through the charade. "The Sphinx only wants to see Kendra."

"Did he know we were coming?" Kendra asked.

"Are you kidding? Of course. We've been waiting all month for you to show up. I'm so glad you're finally here so I can stop having the day shift." Gavin cracked his knuckles. "I miss all the parties."

Was this all for nothing?

No.

No. It wasn't. They were going to make a stand. And maybe the others were going to have a more successful time if all the attention was on Kendra and they believed her group to be the only invaders. They could take the heat off of everyone else. Though, Kendra worried they might not be able to survive the burn.

Gavin cracked open the door. "Go in. I'll hang out with your friends while you have your talk."

Kendra slipped through, and the door slammed shut behind her, silencing Garreth and Muriel's protests. She could do this.

The Sphinx's quarters were nothing like she expected. It was nothing like the dark, gloomy evil lair she had dreamed up in her mind. There wasn't even a pit of lava. Instead, hanging loops of beads crisscrossed the ceiling. Elaborate rugs and plush pillows covered the floor in tassels and intricate designs. Together, the red, purple, and yellow tones of the furniture created the illusion of a sunset. It was warm.

Moreover, Kendra had imagined a tall, skinny, frowning man as the Sphinx. Maybe the avatar of a dragon or a unicorn. He had always stood as an imposing, terrifying, and evil-looking figure in her mind.

But, for a moment, she almost asked the man in front of her to find the Sphinx for her. He just didn't look evil. The large, not-quite-tall smiling man lounged on one of the pillows. He just looked like someone's dad with his locs tied in a ponytail and his easy-going demeanor. "Welcome, Kendra. I am the Sphinx."

Practiced instinct kicked in and she sent a sharp slice of light speeding toward his neck. Before it even reached halfway, the room plunged into cold darkness.

Kendra couldn't see anything. Zero. Nothing. Not even her outthrust hand.

Complete darkness was foreign to her. Kendra had never been so blind in years. Panic picked up the pace of her heart. She had forgotten the disorientation that accompanied such deprivation of sight. She tried to step forward, but she bumped into a chair. Sweat pooled on her neck despite the plunging temperature. Chills pierced her adrenaline-infused confidence as her teeth began to chatter. Her fingers stiffened and goose flesh broke out across her arms. He had brought the dead of winter inside.

Seth and Ronodin's magical darkness had never overcome her sight before. Nothing had ever overcome it before. But the Sphinx had.

"Well, that wasn't diplomatic."

Kendra didn't answer. She cupped her hands in front of her, relying on the touch of her flesh to assure her of her positioning. She attempted to pull light into an orb in front of her, but the darkness stifled the blazing spark with a hiss.

She felt out for any vegetation or life she could use. There were potted plants around, but without her sight, she didn't know where to direct them. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tensed and tried to reach for anything. Oh, please, just anything.

"I want to have a conversation. If you please."

Kendra opened her eyes. "Fine."

The darkness abated but the freezing temperature stayed. A frown replaced the smile on the Sphinx's face. He didn't look so friendly anymore. "Take a seat."

Kendra fell onto a pillow, the cushion cradling her. Her hands shook underneath her but she ensured her voice did not. If she couldn't fight, she could most definitely talk. "How are you so powerful?"

He chuckled and cracked his neck as he leaned back in his cushioned chair. "Magic is a mirror. I have my own gods."

Her brows furrowed. She thought back to her dad's old mythological textbooks. Even those hadn't really spoken of other deities. "I've never heard of any magical god other than the Fairy Queen."

He sighed. She had never expected to feel any sympathy for the Sphinx, but the pain on his face caused a twinge of her heart. She never expected him to smile or so colorfully decorate or look so sad. She hadn't prepared for the charismatic, fully-dimensional Sphinx that his followers had fallen prey to.

"The knowledge was lost long ago just like most magic—burned away in the countless purges over the years," the Sphinx said. "It's one of life's greatest sorrows."

Kendra hadn't expected to agree with him on anything either. But, she stopped herself from sympathizing. This was a man that had orchestrated the capture of her grandparents and the siege of her city. He wanted her and her brother dead. His reasoning didn't matter. Anyone could cry or frown or sigh or say nice things. But, his actions revealed his eviler intentions.

So, she only nodded.

He tilted his head and the frown became a slight grin. "You hate me."

Of course she did. "Of course I do."

"I was once like you," he said. His tone was wistful, and his eyes drifted above her head to nothing. He was thinking. He was distracted. Was this her best chance?

As he spoke, she crept the stem of the leafy potted plant sitting in the corner across the room. "I was idealistic. I thought humans and magic could coexist. I thought it was cruel for magical creatures to keep magic from humans. Knowledge is knowledge, after all."

The stem was long enough now, and the chlorophyllic layers peeled back until it was as sharp as a dagger.

"But, then humans killed my friends. Not once. Not twice. Over and over again. Movements would come and go about peace and acceptance, but nevertheless the pendulum would swing back into violence and ostracization. Humans cannot help themselves. The ones who cannot wield magic. Naturally, they want to rid anything that could be a threat."

Kendra didn't listen. She had the green leafy shank poised inches from his neck. She was ready. But, she hesitated.

"When I was a young adult, all humans' strongest weapons were pointy sticks—which stood no test to any magic. But, then swords and daggers and fire and crystalline weapons crept into use. It's too easy now. Humans have tipped the balance of nature and artificially armed themselves against the very forces of life itself."

The shank wavered in the air. How many of her magical constituents had died in purges? In fires? In riots?

"If humans get to have magic too, it's inevitable. They'll overtake magical creatures."

No. The Sphinx wasn't the answer to these complicated issues. He used violence and intimidation and fear. The empathy he showed now was a thin farce.

The green dagger shot forward. It barely penetrated his neck before ice chopped off the stem and left it limp. Ice grew over Kendra's hands and feet until she was rooted to the spot. The Sphinx frowned, and her heart dropped to her stomach at the failure.

But, nevertheless, Kendra had nicked him. Red blood crept down his neck to his shoulders and stained his tunic.

Red blood.

Red.

It was not the ice that rendered her numb. Her mind sped a million miles and her mouth dropped open. "You're a sorcerer. You're human."

"I wasn't lying when I said I was once you."

Kendra squeezed her eyes shut. What? She opened them. Emotional exhaustion overwhelmed her. He wasn't a wizard or some mythological being. He was human. But how had he lived so long?

None of this made any sense to her. His existence, his motives—nothing.

"But, how can you...you're a sorcerer! How can you hate other sorcerers?"

"I don't hate them. But, the power is not for others to handle. Truly, Kendra, I only trust myself."

"You just want the power. You don't want others to have it."

He raised an eyebrow and took a sip of his drink. When he put it down, he leveled her with a look that made her feel so young and chastised. She felt the chasm of wisdom, experience, and age between them. "Have you been listening? Humans don't need any more power. They create enough. They innovate enough. They just get better at killing and expanding their will over nature. Magic will die if humans have it. They'll use it to kill and expand."

"But, that's what you're doing. Killing and expanding your domain. You are the power-hungry sorcerer you fear."

The Sphinx scanned her. He stayed silent.

Kendra flipped her hair out of her face to deal with her immovable, frozen hands. Her tone mounted with insistency. "We can co-exist. We do it in Fablehaven. Sorcerers are a bridge."

The crackle and pop of the braziers filled the Sphinx's silence as he stared, unimpressed. Ice shards bit into her hands and chilled her boots. She willed any words to come to her. Anything. But, so many thoughts flew and crashed into her and none could coalesce into something to save her.

The Sphinx heaved a heavy sigh and stood up, cracking his back. "I was wrong. You'll never understand."

He kicked a floor pillow away and revealed a shining sword. After inspecting the blade, he turned to her and raised it high.

Kendra had been a fool. She couldn't take on this man who had lived thousands of years and knew things no one else on Earth did.

The blade sparkled above her. Would she become a saint? Would the mythology textbooks splay her likeness across a page and talk of the handmaiden's last stand against the immortal Sphinx? Would servants pray to her in years to come wishing for her protection against witchhunters and evil kings and power-hungry sorcerers?

Would their tears wet statues and what would they leave at hers? Offerings of pretty red apples, salty tears, desperate words, and kneeling, bruised knees?

Or would she instead become a reviled figure. People cursing her name when the world became worse and worse. Magical creatures talking about the handmaiden that was supposed to protect them but fled to Terrabelle of all places and abandoned them to be driven to extinction by fearful humans and the Sphinx alike. Would her name become an expletive? Would she become the bogeyman for young, magical children?

Or would she fade into nothingness? An irrelevant, sad girl who really couldn't have actually been a handmaiden because—come on, just look at her!

These alternate histories flashed through Kendra's mind, curdling terror, sadness, guilt, and anger into an explosive, primal scream. The few potted plants along the walls exploded into a mess of vines and leaves and flowers that turned the room into a leafy jungle. But the Sphinx's sword continued its downward arc, slicing through any vegetative barriers with a hiss.

Just as Kendra let her final tear escape, the door burst open against the walls. The Sphinx paused the execution as Garreth tumbled through. In the sliver of the open doors, she caught a glimpse of magic blasts and blood and Muriel and Gavin tussling. The Sphinx thrust his hand out and closed the entry doors, ice freezing them in place.

Garreth yelled as he ran toward them. "Kendra!"

"Garreth!" Her hoarse voice mounted in intensity. The vines, leaves, and flowers parted for him as he approached. Kendra didn't even mean to; it just happened.

"The Terrabellian prince. What a nuisance." The Sphinx scrunched his face in disgust and let his sword scrape the floor as he dropped his hand. Kendra let out her breath. It wasn't her end. Not yet. Thanks to Garreth.

Speaking of, Kendra felt like she was back in Terrabelle. The mirage of the opulent courtroom flickered over the stone walls. Two autocrats, two swords, ruthless violence, and always Garreth halting an execution.

Ice shot up around Garreth's running feet, wrenching him to a stop. The Sphinx sent icicle after icicle but Garreth parried and slashed with the experience of a knight even with his feet immobile. The icicles shattered into shards on each slice, and Garreth squinted as the shards hit his face, opening old cuts. But, other pieces blew back and hit the Sphinx, causing more tiny red blood streams to flow down his arms.

Garreth was doing good—really good. But, he couldn't go forever. Kendra tried to pull herself out of the icey restraints but she was stuck. She didn't know a spell or anything to unfreeze herself. Muriel had never taught her that. Dozens of incantations raced through her head as she tried to find one that could free her from this predicament.

As she struggled to find her words, the Sphinx ended his fight with Garreth with an icicle that pierced Garreth's sword arm, shredding his skin, muscles, and releasing an avalanche of blood. Garreth screamed. He dropped his sword and his body to the ground.

The Sphinx smiled and crossed the distance to Garreth's heaving form. The Sphinx lifted his sword and stabbed down, through Garreth's heart, cutting off the prince's screams with a spurt of blood.

No!

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thank you for reading!

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